Soda water is apparently something familiar to us as a social drinking substance or something that can hit the spot in times of thirst. But you would be surprised at its other uses, mostly by being a solution towards cleaning certain items such as rugs, mugs or your usual room carpet.

We have seen a lot of common items in the world in the past and if you are looking for another item outside the known items for cleaning healthily like vinegar, try to use soda water this time around.

For stains on carpet or clothing, try pouring on a little soda water, then dab gently until the stain is gone. This works best when the stain is fresh. You can also add salt, if the stain is particularly stubborn

Use it to make an inexpensive, healthy fruit soda for children by mixing equal amounts of your favorite fruit juice with ice-cold soda.

Remove stains from coffee mugs with soda. Fill the cup with soda and let it sit for a while, then rub with any type of towel to remove stains.

soda also works well for removing stains from silver items.

(Source) Hippy Shopper

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We all hear of the advised shift towards alternative source of energy but people really fail to realize how it can be done. To most, the understanding is that they are just supporting sources to bring down utilization of energy but there are people who will go to extremes to force them to learn what it means to live on personal generated energy.

In fact, the rural life is perhaps the best place to start it all off. Many people may have a shock at first but if you think about it, looking for alternative energy source such as installing your own solar panels for energy or even the wind turbines can really be a good learning experience. Through these innovations, people may learn to how to value energy and saving a lot on energy costs in the process.

Just look at how this couple swapped their home for an off-grid place.

“We’ve learnt to adopt an older, more natural rhythm,” della-Porta says. “We spend hours a week maintaining our power supply, checking storage batteries, making sure the wind turbine is okay and monitoring water levels. Everything has double or triple backup. The cooking and the heating are powered by a solid-fuel Rayburn. And there is a separate bottle-gas cooker, which we use more in the summer, when the Rayburn is off.” Suddenly, that film-star lustre is fading.

With the climate getting more chaotic and nonrenewable resources running out, living off grid seems the logical next step. It isn’t just about saving money (in the long run, of course, as set-up costs are vast), but about reducing one’s carbon footprint to a mere baby step. It’s bizarre, then, that it wasn’t for either financial or ecological reasons that the couple decided to live off grid. “We were looking for something different, but we weren’t sure what or how,” says della-Porta, a product designer.

(Source) Times Online

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Here’s a great way to utilize unused space in your apartment/home and grow some really fresh, organic tomatoes.

When the Topsy Turvy™ planter is used, the tomato plant is planted in a planter that is suspended in the air, instead of in the ground. Because the plant is in the air, staking, caging, bacteria, ground rotting, fungus and small animals are all problems of the past. In addition, you get to do all of the necessary work while standing up instead of bending over - sucker and trim with scissors, water and fertilize through a built in top funnel, and harvest tomatoes at chest height. There are also no holes that have to be dug to plant, and weeding is all together eliminated.

via zedomax

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For sure, there are people who want to spice up their kitchen. To most, kitchens are the least of their problems but if you talk about wanting the best along with environmentally related concerns, then chances are you should check out the Preserve line of kitchen products offered by Recycline.

The company name speaks for itself. It makes use of recycled materials such as recycled paper or recycled plastics. Today, they have brought that vision by expanding their scope towards the things we find in the kitchen such as tableware, cutting boards and food bowls. Not only are you being eco-friendly but are likewise getting great decorated stuff that will certainly make your kitchen stand out!

Recycline, as the name suggests, is a manufacturer that relies on Earth-friendly, recyclable materials. All of their Preserve products are made from 100 percent recycled plastics or 100 percent post-consumer paper. By using recycled materials, the company is helping to preserve natural resources and create an incentive for communities to recycle.

(Source) CNet

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When you enter a public restroom these days, you are bound to see options to dry your hands, toilet paper or the hand dryer. Of the two, people will normally be advised to use the former to cut down on the electricity cost. But while that is a good decision, you have to consider that you are adding to another aspect of eco-friendly issues that of which is waste management and deforestation for the toilet paper materials used.

So which is the lesser of two evils. Today, people are forever trying to produce eco-friendly contraptions and surely we can expect some green made dryers out there today which make it ideal to use over the traditional toilet papers.

The bottom line is that hand dryers will be the greener choice in about 95 percent of circumstances. If the choice is between using a tiny corner of recycled towel versus a 2,400-watt dryer, then the Lantern can see how the towel will win. But dryers get the nod in most other scenarios, particularly if the dryer is rated at less than 1,600 watts.

(Source) Slate

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We cannot avoid having to use disposable diapers today. The manner of disposing them really needs further attention. We don’t just throw them away in the garbage chute after they have been used by a child.

We have been often advised to use coding and waste segregation but it would be lucky enough for us if we follow these religiously. To ease the problem a bit, Nature Babycare has developed a proper way to dispose diapers through their eco-friendly diapers disposal bags.

It comes in sets of 50 and costs only $3.99. Not a bad price for something that can help manage disposable diaper waste today.

Product features:

A perfect companion to Nature babycare diapers!

100% Compostable and Biodegradable

Film based on biodegradable material from nature - No oil-based plastics!

Fragrance Free

Consumer pack made of chlorine-free recyclable and renewable material

Keep in your diaper bag to handle any small waste disposal!

Features and Benefits of Nature babycare Disposal Bags:

Chlorine-free materials – does not contribute to dioxin pollution

100 % compostable consumer packaging – No plastic - reduce the greenhouse affect

No latex, fragrance, or TBT (tributyltin)

(Source) Diapers.com

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Apparently, we are all caught in a world where our current situations are hard to cope up with. We have been advised to consider an eco-friendly lifestyle but apparently most of us are not well-versed on how to go about it. We know of a few but the real problem here lies in the fact that we have to approach eco-friendliness as a whole.

Here are some eco-friendly home tips you can follow:

1. Schedule an annual routine checkup for your heating and cooling equipment to keep the system running as efficiently as possible, and check the air filter each month to see if it needs to be replaced.
2. Seal cracks around windows and doors with caulk or weather stripping to prevent conditioned air from escaping.
3. Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature at certain times of the day, automatically regulating the temperature when you’re away.
4. Consider replacing an air conditioner that is more than 15 years old with a newer, more efficient model, such as the Dave Lennox Signature® Collection XC21 Air Conditioner, which is ENERGY STAR® qualified and may reduce annual energy bills by hundreds of dollars, compared to a standard air conditioner.
5. Add extra insulation to the attic, which will help prevent your home’s heating and cooling system from having to work harder to regulate the indoor temperature.
6. Request an independent indoor air quality test for your home from a qualified home heating and cooling professional to identify potential sources of indoor pollution and other contaminants, such as chemical vapors, and airborne particles like pollen, dust and pet dander.
7. Store common household chemicals and cleaning supplies in a tightly sealed container or outside of the home to reduce harmful vapors from spreading into the air you breathe.
8. Avoid burning incense and candles with lead-core wicks, which can release contaminants and potentially harmful chemicals into the air.
9. Decrease dust and dirt in the home by cleaning with nontoxic, natural household cleaners, such as baking soda, cornstarch or white vinegar, and using a vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which will trap small particles like dust that others recirculate back into the air.
10. Consider using a whole-home air purification system, such as the Lennox PureAir system or Healthy Climate 16 media filter, which is installed into your home’s heating and cooling ductwork. These systems are much more effective at eliminating airborne contaminants than portable room air cleaners and don’t produce ozone, which is a known lung irritant.

(Source) Hints for Home Owners

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Here is an idea. We all know the growing concern for plastic bottles and rather than have problems on how to be able to dispose of them, why not recycle them into something useful in homes? Something like a great carpet from the recycled materials? Not a bad idea.

Mohawk Carpet does just that. It collects these used recycled bottles by the bale and then broken up, sorted, chipped, cleaned and then melted. After the whole process is finished, they are molded into threads and spun into yarn and later on made into the eco-friendly carpet.

Perhaps this can severely help in addressing the recycling problems of these plastic bottles. Not all people are aware of their use and with that, are a real problem as far as waste management is concerned.

Plastic bottles are a huge environmental problem. An environmental advocacy group, Food and Water Watch, says each year, the bottles used for water alone consume 47 million gallons of oil and generate one and a half million tons of waste. But the bottles are high quality plastic- that make great carpet at the same cost.

But Americans only recycle about one in four of the plastic bottles they use. Sadly, our landfills are carpeted with a solution that is going to waste.

(Source) Digtriad.com

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The maintenance practices we often undertake for our cars will usually point towards making sure that they are always consuming the proper amount of fuel and performing in tip top shape each time we get in them. One thing we normally avoid would be car-breakdowns to which such discomforts will cause delays and eventually ruin our day.

On the ecological aspect, we are doing the world a favor as well whenever we allow our regular car maintenance checks such as tune-ups, change oils and tire inflating to make sure the exhaust and car fuel fumes do not contribute heavily in the growing issue of car pollution we hate these days.

One would say, why not just buy a new car and avoid all the inconveniences. Perhaps if all people could afford one, then car maintenance of old and used cars would not be needed as much today.

As green as we try to be at my household, there’s one giant carbon-footprint we just can’t shake. Our cars. An Audi and a Taurus in the front yard hardly screams “tree hugger.” But even if you’re driving a Canyonero, there are ways to be eco-friendly.

Not everyone can afford a new hybrid car. I daresay there are more than a few people who wouldn’t buy one if they could. Converting your car to bio-diesel can be labor intensive and if you’re not especially comfortable under the hood, it’d be a disaster waiting to happen. But you can make a few changes that will have even the vilest clunker looking greener.

(Source) The Star

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If you are looking for an eco-friendly way of recycling fertilizer and staying organic, check out this video that provides you an informative way of producing tree and shrub spikes. The best way to understand the eco-friendly use of it is seeing how it is made and how it can help you out today to adhere towards the green standards of living.

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We are familiar with olive oil. Other than being a health additive, it has a lot of other uses which most of us fail to realize. As far as using olive oil for the welfare of our bodies, it can be used as a good cleaner in our homes as well. It can even cure that irritating door which squeaks a lot due to rust and old age.

While there are a dozen other ways to use olive oil, here are some of them which can eventually be of big help to you or wherever you may be.

Prevent wax from sticking to a candle holder. Rub a thin coat on the base of the holder before inserting a candle. Dripped wax should peel away easily.

Care for your pet. Add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon to your cat’s food to help prevent hair balls.

Moisturize cuticles. Apply a small amount of olive oil to the nail beds.

Treat dry skin. Rub a thin layer over the skin after a shower or a waxing.

Unstick a zip. Using a Q-tip, apply a drop to lubricate the teeth. (Avoid touching the fabric.) The zip should move up and down freely.

Dust wooden furniture. Apply a bit of oil to a cloth and wipe.

Silence squeaky doors. Lubricate hinges by applying a small dab to a cloth, then wiping the top of the hinges so that the oil runs down the sides.

(source) The Hippy Shopper

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As reported at green celeb blog, Ecorazzi, Hayden Christensen has made some life changes since his days as the most famous villian of all time, Darth Vader.

Cutie Hayden has  gotten himself a big farm complete with livestock, including horses and cattle. He is also busy planting trees and he goes on to state in the mag, Details, that although he is not a vegetarian, he has cut out pork, since acquiring “Buddy and Petunia”, his 2 pot bellied pet piggy’s. Well done, Hayden.

I love Ecorazzi, they have all the juicy green celeb gossip covered.

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There are so many things we can do to be and live a more green life, from what we drive to what we eat, from the clothes we wear to the electronics we use.

Share With Us Your Best Green Tip (leave a comment below)

At Keetsa, we do our best to share green tips and showcase eco friendly products daily. We have covered lots of ground since our first post back in May, and continue to do so.

This is a call for you (our lovely readers) to share with us your best green tip. It can be anything from green fashion to energy saving ideas, to a cool new solar gadget, hot recycling trick, organic  produce, and everything else in between. Maybe something that you recently discovered to be a great find and has turned your family into green mavens. Or how about a local resource you want to spotlight?

Leave a reply below and share YOUR best green tip. I’ll do a follow-up post and list them on the blog for everyone to benefit.

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Have you heard of Zipcar? Zipcar is the worlds largest car sharing and car club provider.

Car sharing is bringing about significant green benefits, including:

• Less Cars on The Road - as many car sharers end up ditching their cars
• An Increase in Alternate Modes of Transportation - car sharers tend to bike, walk, and use public transit more
• Transportation Savings - some car sharers are reporting annual auto savings of up to $5,000

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

The process involves registering for a driving plan (monthly commitment or pay-as-you-go), chossing a car, and paying the car sharing fee. A variety of different car models are available, including Hybrids.

FEES & FINE PRINT 

The fees vary from the hourly of $9, or daily rates from $66. For the pay-as-you-go plan, there is an application fee of $25, and an annual fee of $50. Gas, parking, and insurance are all included in the rates. You must be atleast 21, and have been licensed for atleast 1 year, with no major moving violations within the past 3 years. (and a few other requirements) Right now Zipcar is available in 13 cities, including Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.

KEETSA VERDICT 

Zipcar is aimed at urban dwellers who want to explore alternative means of getting around, but car sharing is a viable option for anyone who wants to drive less and wants to do so in an eco friendly manner.

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We are at an age where most consumer products are thrown in the waste basket once they have lived up their useful life. A lot of them are either broken or have been simply tagged as unusable. But while most consumers look at replacements thereafter, there are various ways to turn trash into gold. Apparently this was the challenge made towards the Western Washington University students which transformed industrial wastes into eco-friendly treasures.

One of the first lessons the students learned was that it’s not enough to use recyclable materials. You have to think about how you attach one material to another. “If you have a recyclable material like an aluminum bonded to a plastic that’s non-recyclable, suddenly the recyclable component is no longer recyclable,” Bjarnasson points out. She says they had to avoid using strong glues for that reason, and also because the adhesives can release toxic chemicals into the environment.

Before the students could get started, they had to find the industrial scraps to make their products.

Seth Tucker wanted to make bracelets out of disposable chopsticks. “I found that between Japan and China, one billion pairs of chopsticks are thrown away each year. They’re taking down whole forests just for chopsticks!”

(Source) Voice of America

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